Teaching In A Ghetto School

[Jericho941]

I've long believed that we should have a high-stakes test in 8th grade that determines whether or not you get to go to high school. Truly high-stakes. If you pass, you go to high school. If you don't you're passed on to the vo-tech system.

When my wife and I hosted international exchange students, they told us that their systems worked like that. If you didn't pass your eighth-grade test, you didn't go to high school. Period. These kids were mainly northern European and I don't think they were pulling the Crazy American's leg. It sounds like a reasonable idea to me, and there is still a large demand for skilled craftsmen in any number of disciplines, from the construction trades to office work.

This sort of thing is why other countries' schools seem so much better based on standardized testing alone. Comparing our high school test scores to theirs is flawed because they've already weeded out the kids who aren't great at taking tests.

[Aesop]

Not entirely accurate: We weed our kids out too.

We probably lose as many good kids as bad, but we absolutely weed out a staggering number, which can't help but affect our data as well.
The only thing you can reliably say is that of seniors, theirs want to go to college more based on documented aptitude, and ours want to go mainly because of a dearth of it, but with a surplus of societal reinforcement to the idea that they're all Special Snowflakes despite their solid D+ averages and 422 on their SATs (earned with pride summa cum laude at PS 197 and Craphole High!).

Anyone who doubts that can document the reality by auditting any public college freshman composition class, and chatting with the instructor afterwards for about 15 minutes.

[Weetabix]

Anyone who doubts that can document the reality by auditting any public college freshman composition class, and chatting with the instructor afterwards for about 15 minutes.

My daughter just completed one of these. Literally jaw dropping.

[Darrell]

I've long believed that we should have a high-stakes test in 8th grade that determines whether or not you get to go to high school. Truly high-stakes. If you pass, you go to high school. If you don't you're passed on to the vo-tech system.

When my wife and I hosted international exchange students, they told us that their systems worked like that. If you didn't pass your eighth-grade test, you didn't go to high school. Period. These kids were mainly northern European and I don't think they were pulling the Crazy American's leg. It sounds like a reasonable idea to me, and there is still a large demand for skilled craftsmen in any number of disciplines, from the construction trades to office work.

This sort of thing is why other countries' schools seem so much better based on standardized testing alone. Comparing our high school test scores to theirs is flawed because they've already weeded out the kids who aren't great at taking tests.

Heck, most schools don't have a vo tech anymore. The little snowflakes are brainwashed into believing that everybody should go to college. And you can see the fruits of that line of thought in the malaise of today's youth--lots of college grads living in Mom and Dad's basement, unable to find work worthy of their "educations". Meanwhile, we'll just hire illegal aliens to do all the blue collar jobs.

[Jericho941]

Or the opposite can be true. My own high school was very good at shuffling everyone into voc ed, but if you wanna go to college, registration for the only SAT this year is at 3 AM, behind the furnace, under a stack of obsolete textbooks, and the notification is a Post-It on the teachers' refrigerator.

Granted, in that school district, that was exactly what the majority of the kids needed, or the ever-present recruiters. But it also kinda sucked if you actually wanted to go to college.

[Termite]

I believe it was EWE(former Louisiana governor) who commented that 50% of Louisiana college students had no business in college. The older I get, the more I think he was right.

I'm trying to convince Junior Termite to do dual enrollment this year(his senior HS year) if it can be managed schedule -wise. His ACT score is high enough that he qualifies for 6 hrs of classes on scholarship(classes and books free) for fall and spring semester under the Dual Enrollment Program at the local vo-tech/technical "college", and I told him he should pick HVAC/refrigeration or Electrical.

[Yogimus]

Charge parents a tax based on their children's GPA if enrolled in a public school. Lower the score, higher the tax. NO exemptions allowed. Tax credit with 3.5 or above.

[308Mike]

Dual Enrollment Program at the local vo-tech/technical "college", and I told him he should pick HVAC/refrigeration or Electrical.

That's excellent foresight. Those professions are not only in high demand, but also on the verge of changes to their entire industry which will put those at the forefront and most educated in the most "in demand" group of people for their industry.

HVAC will NOT remain the same as it has, and advances will eventually push it forward as more and more people DEMAND climate control. It will also put him in high demand as one of those NEEDED in times of limited resources and AC being one of those skills in HIGH DEMAND when everything goes to shiite (and they get electrical power working again).

YMMV

[Termite]

Charge parents a tax based on their children's GPA if enrolled in a public school. Lower the score, higher the tax. NO exemptions allowed. Tax credit with 3.5 or above.

Yogi,
"Social promotion" for the dumbasses/lazy-asses is all ready bad enough. What you propose would simply make that worse.

[Jericho941]

Charge parents a tax based on their children's GPA if enrolled in a public school. Lower the score, higher the tax. NO exemptions allowed. Tax credit with 3.5 or above.

Yogi,
"Social promotion" for the dumbasses/lazy-asses is all ready bad enough. What you propose would simply make that worse.

By penalizing the parents of dumbasses/lazy-asses?